ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 
apes 
and not a Frenchman was to be 
seen, either on the sand-hills, or on 
the strand; when, suddenly, as we 
got within reach, they opened a 
-tremendous and well-supported fire 
from fifgeen pieces of artillery, 
which had been disposed on the 
hills that lined the beach, and from 
the guns of Aboukir castle. Shot 
and shells now fell in profusion, 
striking the water all around the 
boats, and dashing it upon us.— 
This, however, was comparatively 
but a feeble opposition. On our 
nearer approach, we were assailed 
with such a terrible shower of grape 
shot and langrage, as was never 
before probably direéted against so 
small a point, and could be com- 
pared only to the effeéts of a vio- 
lent hail storm upon the water. 
Never was there a more try- 
ing moment. Our troops penned 
-up so close, as to be unable to 
move, and exposed to a galling and 
destructive fire, without the power 
of returning it, or taking any mea- 
sures of defence. Two boats were 
sunk. |Close to that in which I was 
embarked, a flat, conveying part 
of the Coldstream guards, was struck 
in the middle by a shell, which, 
bursting at the same instant, killed 
and dreadfully wounded numbers ; 
the rest went to the bottom. Many 
were picked up, but in such a state, 
as to be insensible of the obligation. 
The sinking of a boat could, indeed, 
_Searcely be otherwise than fatal. 
Embarrassed with belts, loaded with 
three days provision, and_ his car- 
touch box filled with sixty rounds 
of ball cartridge, a soldier could 
find in swimming only an ineffectual 
struggle for life. 
Nothing, however, could dismay 
troops so brave. Surrounded by 
death, in its most frightful shapes, 
94! 
their courage was not to be damp 
ed. Through a fire rendered doubl) 
tremendous by the impossibility o 
resistance, we continued  steadil: 
to advance, cheering and huzzain 
as if yiétory had already been i ° 
our hands, though yet without th 
power of returning a single sho 
It was near nine when the first boat 
took the ground. Numbers of ou 
men were at this moment lost, bein; 
shot in the boats, or bayonetted. ii 
the act of stepping out, by. the ene. 
my, who had come down to the wa- 
ter’s edge to receive us as we land- 
ed. The regiments formed imme- 
diately as they got out of the boats, 
and lost not a moment in advance- 
ing. 
The four flank companies of the 
fortieth, on the right of the whole, 
and the twenty-third next to them, 
in the most spirited manner, charged 
up a hill rising almost perpendicu- 
larly from’the sea-side, the sand of 
which yielded under their feet as 
they climbed up. A body of the 
French, the brave sixty-first demi- 
brigade, who were drawn up on 
the top, panic struck by such intre- 
pidity, precipitately retreated, leav- 
ing two pieces of cannon behind 
them. - On the left, where majors~ 
general Coote and Ludlow omy 
manded, a body of upwards ef two 
hundred’ of the enemy’s cavalry, 
charged part of the guards and of 
the royals, as they came out of the 
boats; but more of the troops 
landing, and.coming to their assist- 
ance, the French were speedily 
repulsed, suffering a very conside- 
rable loss. 
The contest on shore lasted about 
twenty minutes, when the enemy 
gave way in every quarter, and we 
got possession of the hills, whither 
the body of seamen under Sir Sydney 
3P3 Smif? 
